12
Chimney fire
In the event of a chimney fire dial 999 and ask for the Fire Service.
Move the air control lever to the ‘cold’
setting and keep the stove door closed. Move any combustibles away from the stove and chimney. Check
any other rooms that the chimney or flue passes through and move any combustibles away from the
chimney. Before using the stove again after a chimney fire, the chimney should be cleaned and inspected by
a qualified person.
Types of fuel
Wood needs to be well seasoned before it is burned. There are many types of wood available for fuel and
they take varying amounts of time to season. As a general guide wood should be cut to length, split, and
then stacked under cover with sides open to air for at least twelve months. Wood is ready for burning when
radial cracks appear in the end of the logs and moisture content is no more than 20%. It is then good
practice to store the wood in a log basket inside your property for a few days prior to its use.
Do not burn
unseasoned wood in your stove. Do not burn particle board, lacquered, painted, or treated wood, plastics,
rubber or liquid fuels.
The FireBob 69 has been recommended as suitable for use in smoke control areas when burning wood logs.
The wood should have a moisture content of no more than 20%. The recommended split log size is 200mm x
70mm x 70mm and the maximum recommended burn rate is 1.2kg of wood per hour with a maximum fuel
load of 1.1kg at any one time.
Refuelling on to a low fire bed
If there is insufficient burning material in the fire bed to light a new fuel charge, excessive smoke emission
can occur. Refuelling must be carried out onto enough glowing embers and ash that the new fuel charge will
ignite in a reasonable period. If there are too few embers in the fire bed, add suitable kindling to prevent
excessive smoke.
Fuel overloading
The maximum amount of fuel specified in this manual should not be exceeded, overloading can cause excess
smoke.
Ashes
The ashes should only be removed when the fire is extinguished and has been left to cool completely.
Cleaning & maintenance
Maintenance of the stove should only be carried out by a competent engineer when the stove is cold. These
checks should include the state of the rope seals, firebricks, and baffle. The exterior of the fire can be
cleaned with a soft brush. Never use spirits to clean the stove as this may remove the paint.
Seasonal use
The following procedure should be followed if the stove is not to be used for a long period, summertime for
instance. Remove all the ashes from the firebox. Remove the baffle plate and brush the flue ways. Close the
door and open the air control fully. This action will allow air circulation through the flue ways and help avoid
corrosion and condensation.
Flue draught Issues
Adverse weather conditions may result in either too little or too much flue draught. Excessive flue draught
may cause the fire to burn on a high rate whilst too little draught or ‘down draught’ may cause the fire to
burn too slowly, extinguish the fire or even force smoke into the room. In either case, allow the fire to go
out and do not use until you have consulted an installer to help improve the performance of the chimney.
